Kenyan uprising’s history written as it happened
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In Kenya, a group of activists, organizers, writers, and legal minds compiled their experiences and analysis of the 2024 to 2025 youth uprisings into a book titled From Mau Mau to Ruto Must Go.
The authors documented protests and government responses in real time, intending to create a historical record alongside the events themselves.
The book examines issues of sovereignty, including the influence of international financial institutions like the IMF and foreign military presence in the country, specifically highlighting partnerships with the UK, the US, and France. Contributors also addressed the Seed and Plant Varieties Act of 2022, which they saw as a threat to the country’s food system, and successfully challenged its legality in court.
Publishing the book proved difficult in Kenya, with publishers hesitant to print a volume with the potentially provocative title “Ruto Must Go.” Ultimately, the group found a publisher in Uganda, but faced further challenges when Kenyan authorities confiscated 300 copies at the border.
Despite intimidation tactics including police interrogation, venue cancellations, and arrests during book launches and a planned commemoration of the uprisings, the authors and their supporters organized events with the help of community-based organizations like the Mathare Social Justice Centre. They are now planning further outreach through traveling theatre performances, university forums, and public readings to broaden the book’s reach.
